Life as a Bandit Medic
by Kimura
Summary: Leonard McCoy is forced to work for a group of bandits who kidnap high profile individuals. Of course, everything changes the day they decide to kidnap James T. Kirk. Slash. Warnings: violence, language, bondage.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or its characters. This is not for profit._

* * *

><p>Leonard McCoy hated his life. He wiped the back of his gloved hand across his forehead and tilted the brim of his hat to better shade the sun.<p>

"What's takin' so long?" he grumbled.

"Well, they said the security's really tight …" the kid on the horse next to his squeaked.

"They've had worse," McCoy retorted. The kid was new at this. Leonard, unfortunately, wasn't. In order to keep practicing medicine and protect his patients, he had been unwillingly drafted by the Ridgefield Bandits. He had patched up one of their men at gun point. After that, they decided he would make an ideal addition to their team and had threatened to destroy his practice and kill his patients unless he went with them whenever they asked.

With his help, they had taken to kidnapping high profile individuals. McCoy's job was to look after the health of the hostage until they were released. And McCoy had to admit that as vile as he found it, they were good at their job. Word spread fast that hostages were returned in great condition, so people were willing to pay a higher ransom.

McCoy felt like some part of him died a little more with each job. There were months in between. And so far, no one had made the connection back to him. The jobs were days away from his practice. It was lucky for them that he was an experienced rider. Not everyone was on this dust ball planet; it was a bizarre mix of old and new. Horses trotted alongside hoverbikes. Minerals in the crust of the planet rendered transporters and long distance communications useless. Although McCoy had modern medical tools, they still had old fashioned plumbing and fewer than ten replicators on the whole planet – most belonging to the very wealthy.

It was one of the few places McCoy could still practice medicine after what happened with his father back on Earth. Just when his life had started to stabilize, the Ridgefields turned everything upside down again.

"… coming. Hey! Doc!"

"What?"

"You space out or somethin'? I said they're coming. I can hear them."

Leonard listened to the sound of approaching horses. He didn't know who the target was, and he didn't care. He kept his mouth shut and his eyes on the job. It was the best way to get things over with quickly.

A group of five horses galloped over the hill.

Leonard blinked in confusion. One horse was missing a rider, and he couldn't easily spot the hostage. "What the hell?"

The horses came to a halt, and the leader – a giant of a man named Jenner leapt off his horse. "McCoy!"

Leonard dismounted, handing the reins to the kid. "What the hell happened?"

"The target put up a hell of a fight. Took out McClure. You need to treat him before we can get movin'."

McCoy looked where he was gesturing and spotted the unconscious figured draped in front of one of the other riders. "Shit!" He started barking out orders, setting up a triage station.

"Just get him ready to move as soon as you can," Jenner growled at him. "Little shit is more trouble than he's worth."

"What the hell happened?" McCoy asked again as he helped ease the young man onto the stretcher. "Thought you usually just stunned 'em."

"We missed, and the gun jammed," Jenner answered.

McCoy felt color draining from his face as he saw the blood-soaked shirt underneath the kid's leather vest. "Fuck. You hit him with a disruptor?"

"No choice. Was the only thing that slowed him down," Jenner snapped. "Now just fix it, so we can move. We're too exposed here!"

McCoy ran his tricorder over their newest prisoner and frowned at the readout – cracked ribs, multiple contusions on the chest, one disruptor blast on his left side, and another to his right ankle. _Fuck. It will be a miracle if this kid doesn't go into shock_. McCoy got to work, setting an immobilizer on the ribs and scanning more deeply for any internal bleeds. He used the dermal regenerator on the ankle.

The hostage stirred as McCoy moved towards the ugly, partially cauterized wound on his side.

Leonard laid a heavy hand on his chest. "Hold still, kid." He worked the regenerator with his other hand, struggled to hold it steady. "Damn, this is close. He should be in surgery."

"Wha …? Where'm I?" the kid slurred.

"Stay still," Leonard ordered. He eyed the bruise forming on his jaw, noting that that was probably why he had been unconscious. He froze when he heard the click of a weapon and looked up.

Jenner was aiming a disruptor between his patient's eyes.

"Hey! Enough of that! He's not goin' anywhere!" Leonard cried.

"Shut up, Doc. Get back to work. Nice of you to join us, Jim. You're gonna pay for takin' out McClure."

"Whatever you're after, you won't get it," Jim retorted.

Jenner smiled. "We'll see about that. Golden child of the Kirk family? I think they'll pay to get you back."

Jim laughed. "Yeah, right. Ever wonder why they sent me to this backwater planet?"

"Damn it, stay _still_," Leonard growled.

"Don't mind our Doc," Jenner said. "He's pretty grouchy most of the time. Doc?"

"What? I'm a little busy here."

"I'm about to make your job easier. Only heal it enough so he won't die or bleed out. Leave the rest."

Leonard nearly dropped the regenerator. "What?"

"Jim here is more than a handful. It'll help keep him in line if he can't run."

McCoy snapped the regenerator off and glared up at Jenner. "That so? Well, that's not my problem! This is my patient, and I'm going to fix the mess you made. That's why you bring me along. I'm not going to leave him in pain, just because you can't keep a hold of him. That's _your_ problem." Leonard heard guns powering up around his head and ignored them. This was the line he was not going to cross. "You kill me, you take care of him yourselves. And good luck with that, because if I leave this untreated, he's going to go into shock."

Jenner laughed heartily. It made the hair on the back of Leonard's neck stand on end, but the guns around his head powered down. "This is why we keep you around, Doc. All right. Patch him up."

"He'll still need the wagon. I'm a doctor, not a goddamn magician."

"Fine. But he's your responsibility for the ride. I don't care if you have to drug him. You don't want to do it my way? Find another one."

"Fine," Leonard seethed. He loaded a hypospray with a strong painkiller and injected it into Jim's neck. He noticed that the kid was looking at him with what might have been respect. Leonard shook it off and went back to work.

* * *

><p>Satisfied that Jim Kirk was stable enough to move, McCoy watched as two of the bandits loaded the stretcher into the back of the covered wagon. He climbed in after him, running his tricorder over the kid; he was a little out of it because of the painkillers.<p>

"Wha'd you give me?" Jim slurred, trying to sit up.

Leonard pushed him back down. "Lie still. Don't worry. They always get me the patient's chart before they do this. I took careful note of your laundry list of allergies."

Jim's brilliant blue eyes closed briefly. "Thanks, Doc."

Leonard loaded another hypospray with saline and nutrients; in the hot sun, the kid was pretty dehydrated.

Jim opened his eyes and weakly batted his hand away. "No more drugs. I won' run."

"Relax. This is just to treat dehydration. You couldn't run right now if you wanted to, kid."

Jim smirked as Leonard pressed the hypo to his neck. "Wanna bet?"

Leonard recalled Jenner's words from earlier. As much as he hated the whole idea of kidnapping, if Jim made a break for it, McCoy's neck was on the line. The wagon started to move, keeping a leisurely pace, as Leonard had requested.

"Tha' was pretty brave, wha' you did," Jim commented. "Stood up to Jenner like that. Not bad. Sorry you're stuck in the middle of this."

"Shut up," Leonard told him. He scanned him again, trying to decide how likely it was that any escape attempt would be successful. He sighed and set down the tricorder, rummaging around in the supplies until his hand closed over a coil of rope. "Sorry about this, kid." He grabbed Jim's wrists and bound them tightly together, checking circulation carefully.

Jim tried to pull away weakly. "Hey! You don't have to do that!"

"Considering the trouble you gave the others, yeah, I do." He tied the rope off around the seat Jim was lying next to. Then he grabbed another rope and tied Jim's legs just above the knee; he didn't want to aggravate the wound healing on his ankle. Tied as he was and injured, Jim wouldn't get far if he tried to run.

"Fuck," Jim muttered, letting his bound wrists rest against his stomach. "You're damn good with knots, you know that?"

Leonard almost laughed. "Flattery won't get you anywhere with me, kid. Try to rest easy. Let yourself heal."

Jim was quiet for a while. Finally, he asked, "What's your name?"

"They call me Doc, for obvious reasons."

"And for obvious reasons, you don't want anyone else knowin' your real name," Jim observed. "So … I'll just have to make one up for you."

Leonard scanned Jim's healing ribs carefully. "That's gonna need another treatment when we stop. I don't want to try and use the osteogenerator while we're movin'."

"That's it!" Jim exclaimed.

"What?"

"Bones! That's what I'll call you."

Leonard rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Well, it fits, you know –"

"Yeah, yeah. Sawbones. I get it. Do you ever shut up?"

"Wow, you _are_ grouchy. And no, I don't shut up. You'd probably gag me if you weren't charged with my medical care. Where are we going?"

Leonard looked at him incredulously. "You think I'm going to tell you that?"

Jim shrugged. "Was worth a shot. Don't worry, I get it. You can't help me, or you'll get in trouble."

"I'm already in trouble because of you. Try not to cause more."

Jim bit his lip. "I won't cause more trouble for you, Bones." He smirked slightly. "But some people think my middle initial stands for trouble instead of Tiberius."

McCoy laughed. "Tiberius? Wow, I think you have me beat."

"Oh really? Lay it on me."

"Horatio."

"Wow. That's close, but no cigar. Think I'll stick with Bones."

By the sunny grin on Jim's face, an outsider looking in would probably never guess that he was a wounded hostage at the mercy of bandits with disruptors. The two of them sat in companionable silence as the wagon rolled on. That made Leonard nervous; he shouldn't let himself get attached.

"How long does this usually take?"

Leonard shrugged. "It varies. Sometimes just a couple days, sometimes it's a couple weeks. Depends how cooperative the family is and how communications run."

"They ever take kids?"

McCoy shook his head. "No one younger than sixteen. Regular old saints, these guys."

"So, you're a normal doctor the rest of the time?"

"You really wanna know, Jim? How do you know that whole thing back there wasn't a show to get you to trust me?"

"I know," Jim said. His blue eyes seemed to pierce right through Leonard. "You're a good man. Not sure how you got mixed up with these thugs, but it's easy to tell that this isn't your choice."

Leonard shrugged, scanning Jim again for lack of anything better to do. "No. But there's not much to be done about that now." He half expected Jim to try and talk him into letting him go in exchange for helping him break ties with the Ridgefields. Most hostages did. But he couldn't risk it. Jenner claimed he knew exactly where Bones's little girl was and had threatened Joanna on multiple occasions.

Some days, McCoy doubted it was true, that Jenner had actually found her. But if there was even the slightest chance that refusal or rebellion could cause Joanna harm, he wouldn't do it.

Jim had been quiet for a while. "You've got a kid, don't you."

Leonard tried not to look surprised. Jim Kirk was a sharp one. "Yeah," he sighed.

"How old?"

"Eight now. Haven't seen her in two years. Don't ask."

"Wasn't going to. You are making it really difficult for me to plan daring escapes, though, when I think about a little girl getting hurt because of it."

Leonard scowled. "Jim, these guys know what they're doing. Don't make trouble, and this whole thing will be over quickly."

"No offense, but this isn't just about _your_ family. My family is … well, it's complicated. Let's just say I don't want to be more of a hardship than I have been. Jenner thinks he can drain them dry."

"And _you_ think you can escape, somehow find your way back home, even though you have no idea where you are, and save the day?"

"Something like that. But in my version, I also rescue this hot doctor from his life as a bandit medic."

Leonard felt himself flush slightly and rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable. I thought you didn't hit your head, but now I'm not so sure."

"I get that reaction a lot. By the way, you're cute when you blush."

"So, that's your plan? Seduce me?"

Jim shook his head. "Nah. That's just a bonus."

Leonard couldn't help but laugh. He wondered if he was finally losing it, or if his patient was just insane.

McCoy didn't have friends. His profession and double life made it difficult. It was oddly nice to have someone to talk to, even in these strange circumstances. He and Jim talked about anything, except their family lives or how either of them had come to this planet.

The wagon slowed to halt.

"Are we there yet?" Jim joked, wiping sweat from his forehead awkwardly with his bound hands.

"No." Leonard shook his head. "Probably just a pit stop. I'll get us some water." He looked down at Jim seriously. "Stay put."

Jim nodded solemnly. "I won't be any trouble for you, Bones."

Leonard pulled back the flap and nearly smacked into Jenner. "How is he?"

"He's fine. Stable," Leonard answered. "We could both use some water, and I'd like to stretch my legs."

Jenner raised an eyebrow. "You were gonna leave him unsupervised?"

"He's tied down," Leonard snapped back.

Jenner smiled unpleasantly, moving aside, so that Leonard could jump out.

McCoy hopped off the wagon headed towards his horse; he half expected Jenner to jump inside and menace Jim some more, but the leader of the gang simply stood there, idly fingering his disruptor.

Leonard grabbed one of the canteens tied to his saddle and drank deeply. "How much further?" he asked the new guy – Bobby, he finally recalled.

"Another two hours, I think they said," he answered.

McCoy nodded, heading back towards the wagon. The Ridgefields had a couple of different hideouts in the unsettled wilderness. At this point, Leonard had been to all three. He guessed from the surroundings, and the kid's info that they were heading for the spot by Lee River.

Jenner stepped out of his way as he climbed back into the wagon.

"Thirsty?" he asked Jim.

"Parched," Jim answered.

McCoy leaned down, working a hand under Jim's shoulders, helping him sit up a little and drink. When he had finished, Leonard set him down and rummaged around the osteogenerator. He scanned Jim's healing ribs with the tricorder again before passing the osteogenerator over them. "You'll still need to take it easy. They'll be fragile for at least another day."

"More time to plan an awesome escape."

Leonard sighed. "Whatever you say, kid. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Jenner said you took out McClure. What happened?"

Jim smirked and shrugged. "I'm a better shot. Don't worry; I just stunned him. He's probably holed up in a jail cell right now."

McCoy just nodded and finished his work, secretly glad to know that Jim hadn't taken a life.

* * *

><p>McCoy was a bundle of nerves when they finally reached the campsite. He was equal parts relieved and anxious. Jim's security was no longer his responsibility, but he knew the kid probably wasn't going to stay still. Jenner wasn't kind to hostages that tried to run, leaving Leonard to patch them back up afterwards. And the fact that Jim was responsible for getting McClure arrested made the rest of the men itchy for revenge.<p>

Leonard tested Jim's ankle carefully before untying his legs and letting him put weight on it. Another bandit – McCoy didn't know all of their names – grabbed the lead on the rope that tied to Jim's wrists, walking him away from the wagon.

"Nice work, Doc," Jenner said, clapping Leonard on the shoulder.

"Try not to fuck it up," he retorted. "Life will be easier if I'm not constantly patching the kid up, because you can't keep the troops in line."

Jenner glared at him. "I'll keep it under control as best I can, Doc. If he gets hurt again, it's your _job_ to patch him up. What's the matter? You don't like our arrangement? We've protected that pathetic little town you live in more than once. You wouldn't want that to stop, now, would you?"

Leonard glared right back. "Didn't say I was quittin'. I just said be careful. There's only so much I can do out here without proper equipment and a sterile room." He turned on his heel and stormed off towards his horse.

He petted Hardison soothingly and walked him down to the river for a drink. He refilled both his canteens and splashed water on his face. It was hot, dry day. He'd have to keep a careful eye on Jim for dehydration.

Everything was simultaneously easier and harder with Jim. Most hostages cried, begged. Also, he didn't have as much contact with them, because they usually weren't badly injured. They would ride with one of the others. McCoy hated himself when he would fall asleep at night listening to them cry.

Jim Kirk was different. Hell, he wasn't even scared. But the kid had trouble written all over him, even if it wasn't his middle name. Leonard chuckled slightly at the memory. "Tiberius." He felt a little better as he walked back into camp. After tying up Hardison, that feeling fled as he saw Jim being manhandled under a tree.

A gag had been shoved in his mouth, and two of the bandits were looping the length of rope attached to his wrists over a high branch, raising his hands over his head.

"Oh, for the love of – STOP!" Leonard shouted, marching over to them. "For fuck's sake, do you _any_ common sense at all?"

Jenner appeared beside him. "What's going on here?"

"These two idiots are going to undo all of my hard work! You can't tie him up like that. His ankle's still healing, and it'll aggravate his ribs, and the other disruptor wound."

Jenner nodded subtly at his subordinates.

They grumbled as they yanked the rope down off the branch.

"What do you suggest then, Doc?"

"He needs to be sitting. It's how you tie up everyone else. That will work fine, so long as you avoid tying anything around the wounds."

Jenner smiled. "You heard the Doc, boys." He turned to face McCoy. "You might want to help 'em out, especially if you don't want those ropes too tight."

Leonard nodded as he watched the two men force Jim to the ground, binding his legs together. He picked up a discarded length of rope and carefully tied Jim's ankles, making sure it wasn't too tight or chafing the wound there. Finally, they looped around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides and his back to the tree. McCoy checked all of the ropes and circulation. He removed Jim's right boot, since his ankle was swelling just a little. He fetched a cooling pack from his medical kit and activated it, propping Jim's ankle on top of it.

"Did you give him water?" he asked the others.

"Yeah, Doc," one of the bandits answered.

"Any sharp pain or pressure?" he asked, meeting Jim's eyes.

Jim shook his head.

"All right, then." He stood and forced himself to walk away. It would be extremely dangerous for both of them if McCoy showed Jim anything resembling favoritism. Jenner would use it against Leonard and against Jim to keep him in line. Though he didn't want to see him get hurt, he had this bizarre thought that Jim could actually outsmart these bandits.

"_But in my version, I also rescue this hot doctor from his life as a bandit medic …"_

Leonard shook his head. He wasn't a fairytale princess; he didn't need to be rescued. His life was too complicated to simply run from the Ridgefields. He had the townspeople and Joanna to think about. He sighed and joined with the others in setting up the camp.

* * *

><p>Leonard was about to head to his tent to go to sleep when something occurred to him. "Did anyone bring Kirk dinner?"<p>

The campfire conversation went awkwardly quiet.

"Guess it slipped our minds, since we lost one of our own," Jenner said breezily.

Leonard growled. "For God's sake, he's not dead. Go break him out of jail, if you're that worried. Or ask for him in exchange for Kirk. But he's not going to heal properly if he's dehydrated or starved."

Jenner laughed. "McClure is a good man, but he's not worth the amount of money we're gonna get for Kirk."

McCoy stood up and ladled a bowl of soup. "Fine. I'll do it myself. You want the money, Kirk needs to be in good health. You've got a reputation to maintain."

"Good idea, Doc. Think you're the only man here who wouldn't try to poison him right now."

Leonard picked up his canteen and walked over to the tree where Jim was still securely tied. Bobby was guarding him with a disruptor; they had traded watches during dinner.

"Go sit down, kid," he told Bobby.

"You sure, Doc?"

McCoy nodded, pulling back his leather coat slightly to reveal the phaser holstered to his hip.

Bobby nodded in approval wandered back to the campfire. Leonard sat in front of Jim and met his eyes. "You need to stay quiet if you're going to get fed. Only talk when I ask you something. Got it?"

Jim hesitated for a second before nodding.

Leonard reached behind his head, untying the gag and easing the cloth out of Jim's mouth. "How's the pain?"

"Just a dull ache at this point," Jim answered. He eagerly gulped at the canteen McCoy held to his lips.

When Jim had finished drinking, Leonard scanned him with his medical tricorder again. "Everything looks good." He set down the tricorder and picked up the bowl of soup.

Jim raised an eyebrow as Leonard ladled soup into the spoon and held it in front of his lips. After a moment, he opened his mouth and let Leonard feed him. A faint blush crept up from his neck to his cheeks as he ate.

Leonard helped him drink some more water when he had finished. "Need anything else?"

"Uh, yeah." Jim's blush went a shade darker. "Need to piss."

"Shit," Leonard swore. "Those idiots …" He stood up, untying Jim's ankles and legs. "You're not gonna run off on me, are you?" He helped Jim get his boot back on.

Jim shook his head. "I said I wouldn't get you in trouble, and I won't."

Leonard nodded and untied the ropes binding Jim to the tree. He left Jim's wrists bound as he gripped his forearms and pulled him to his feet. Once Jim was steady, he took a step back and pulled out his phaser. "Sorry, Jim. Can't be too careful. Let's go." He waved the weapon in front of him, and Jim obligingly walked where he was directed, coming to a group of bushes hidden from the view of the campfire.

McCoy watched out of the corner of his eye as Jim relieved himself. "Just so you know, they're definitely on edge. As your physician, I have to recommend against trying to escape."

"Whatever happens, Bones, I'll keep you out of it."

"Jim –"

"I'm done," he said, zipping back up.

McCoy sighed, gesturing again with the phaser and leading his prisoner back to camp. Christ, he hated this job.

"Bones?" Jim said quietly.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For this." He spun and kicked the phaser out of Leonard's hand. Before Leonard had time to react, Jim charged him, bringing his knee up into Leonard's stomach. It hurt, but he could tell Jim was holding back. He managed to shove him backwards, and Jim stumbled slightly.

"Hit me," Jim said urgently. "Make it look good."

McCoy stepped forward, catching Jim on the jaw with a right cross. Jim leaned into it, taking the least amount of damage and rolling to the ground. Leonard grabbed his phaser and planted a foot on Jim's chest to keep him in place. "Nice try, kid," he said loudly enough for the others to hear. "Thought you could get the drop on me?"

Jim glared up at him convincingly. "Fuck you, old man."

Leonard looked over at the bandits; they were halfway to them, weapons in hand.

Jenner relaxed, tipping his hat. "Good work, Doc. Make sure he's secure for the night, would you?"

"My pleasure," Leonard growled.

The others laughed, some applauding, as they sauntered back to the camp.

McCoy grabbed Jim's forearm and yanked him to his feet, nestling the phaser between his uninjured ribs. "Thought you were gonna keep me out of it," he said into Jim's ear.

"I am," Jim said with a smirk. "Can't have it looking like you're on my side. Sorry again for that. And for the old man comment. Didn't mean it."

Leonard saw the logic in it. "I … thanks. I think."

"You're welcome. Nice job, by the way. Think they bought it?"

"They've never seen me hit a hostage before, so I think so."

"Good."

Leonard felt the muscles in Jim's arm tense up under his grasp as they returned to the tree. He felt guilty, even though he had no choice. He tightened his jaw and tried to stay in character. He shoved Jim down roughly to the ground, pulling his ankles together and binding them carefully.

"Let me know if anything's too tight or hurts," he said quietly.

Jim nodded; he slipped back on his defiant mask to keep up the act as well, but Leonard could hear that his breathing was a little shallower.

He frowned as he tied Jim's legs above the knees. _Is he really scared of getting tied up? _ he wondered. _He's gonna have to get used to it_.

As he reached across Jim to grab the last piece of rope, his arm brushed against something. His eyes widened slightly, and he froze in place. _He's not scared. He _likes_ it._ He looked up at Jim.

Wide blue eyes greeted him; Jim knew exactly what Leonard had just figured out. Then he broke into a small smile and shrugged. "What can I say? You're hot. And good with knots."

"You're unbelievable," Leonard grumbled, standing to wind the long rope around Jim's upper arms and chest, binding him to the tree. He knelt after four turns and tied it off out of Jim's conceivable reach.

"It's not that weird," Jim told him, keeping his head down, so the others hopefully wouldn't see them talking. "And you're a doctor. You guys get off on having power over others all the time."

"Yeah, 'cause this is definitely my idea of good time," Leonard replied sarcastically, checking Jim's circulation.

"Well, maybe not the whole situation, but still …" Jim met his gaze and squirmed against the ropes holding him in place, grunting softly with the effort. "Damn, Bones."

Leonard felt heat pooling within him and turned his head away from the sight.

"See? Not weird."

"But incredibly inappropriate," Leonard shot back.

Jim shrugged again. "It is what it is, Bones."

"Shut up."

Jim smirked. "Make me."

By God, Leonard did not want to be turned on by that, but he was. He snatched the gag up, shoved it roughly into Jim's mouth and tied it behind his head. He didn't miss the muffled, soft moan. Leonard untied the knot on the rope around Jim's wrists, letting one loop out before retying it. He brought Jim's hands down to his lap, knotting the newly freed rope to the one at his knees, locking his hands in place.

Jim lifted his hips up slightly before McCoy could get his hands out of the way.

Leonard jerked back. "Behave." He picked up his canteen and the soup bowl before storming back to the campfire. "Who's on watch?"

"Still me for now," Bobby answered, jumping up.

"Keep a sharp eye," Leonard growled. "He's a slippery one."

Jenner nodded in agreement. "He was trouble from the start. Better be worth the money."

Leonard paused. "Or what?"

"Or we'll find a way to make more money off him. We could get him to the spaceport and see if a slave trader will take him. He's a good looking boy; he'd fetch a good price." Jenner smiled up at him. "Don't worry. The family will pay."

Leonard felt sick. He prayed that the Kirks would pay the ransom. He took a sip of bourbon from his hip flask and disappeared into his tent.

He lay awake on the bedroll for a while, going over the events of the day in his mind. _His middle name really IS trouble_, he decided, rolling over and closing his eyes.

Images of Jim squirming against the ropes filled his mind unbidden.

"Fuck," he muttered, rolling onto his other side.

Jim had gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like he and Leonard were at odds with each other. And he had trusted Leonard to do his best not to hurt him.

_Why?_ Leonard wondered. _Why does he trust me?_

He thought of where he had left Jim's hands. If he was flexible enough, he might just get enough friction to get off … if he could do so without being seen by the guard. _Oh, thinking about THAT does not help matters, McCoy_, he scolded himself. His pants were uncomfortably tight around the growing bulge.

"Fuck," he said again.

He listened to the camp, heard the sounds of the guard on Jim changing and the rest of them heading to their own tents to sleep. It was quiet, except for the occasional pop and crack from the dying fire.

It had been so long since Leonard had felt attracted to anyone. It wasn't that his life was void of good-looking people. He was just always so busy at work that he didn't have time to notice. It made the erection burning in his pants that much more urgent.

After listening for silence for a few more minutes, he slowly unzipped his pants and slipped a hand inside in boxers. He clamped his other hand over his mouth to keep from making a sound. When he came only minutes later, he couldn't decide if he wanted to curse or thank Jim Kirk.

Leonard finally dropped off to sleep. He kept having recurring dreams of rescuing Jim, untying him, pulling the gag from his mouth, and Jim kissing him gratefully.

"_Thanks, Bones," Jim whispered breathily. _

_Leonard smirked as he helped Jim onto his horse. "Think you can use my real name now." He climbed on behind Jim, wrapping his arms around his waist. _

"_What is it?" Jim asked, leaning his head back to nibble on Leonard's ear. _

"_It's McCoy. Leonard McCoy." He urged the horse into motion, towards the sunset._

* * *

><p>When McCoy awoke, he fervently hoped he hadn't been talking in his sleep. <em>My God, that was embarrassing<em>, he thought as he rummaged around for clean clothes. _I had a dream about Jim, and we didn't even … do anything! What the hell?_ he thought as he picked up a towel and pulled on his pants and boots. A quick dip in the river would clean off the travel dirt well.

He exited his tent and saw that the men had once again strung Jim up with his arms over his head. He'd been stripped of his shirt, colorful bruises marring his defined chest and abs. And he was _soaked_. Leonard gasped as Jim was doused with another bucket of water. He stared at Jim's skin glistening in the sunlight as he jerked his head to flick his wet hair out of his face.

Jenner was suddenly beside him. "Think he can handle it?"

"Huh?" McCoy fumbled.

"Is it okay to leave him tied like that until he dries off?"

"Oh. Uh, I'll give him a quick scan to be certain, but it should be fine. Make sure he doesn't get dehydrated, and we're in business."

Jenner smiled. "Good." He patted McCoy on the shoulder. "You seem to be in better spirits today. Maybe we should have you rough up captives more often," he laughed.

McCoy couldn't help it; he jerked away and stomped off to the river to clean up. Cold water was exactly what he needed.

* * *

><p>"Watch it, Doc," Bobby warned as McCoy approached Kirk with his medical kit. "He's got a mean kick. Must do martial arts or somethin'."<p>

McCoy turned and glared at Kirk. "You try that with me, and I swear I'll hog tie you. Got it?"

Kirk glared back but nodded.

_This is wrong, wrong, wrong_, Leonard thought as he scanned Jim with his tricorder. _He's a hostage, and this is real life. This is not the time to be getting aroused!_ But part of him loved what was happening between him and Kirk. The danger made it all the more intoxicating.

Kirk grunted against the gag as McCoy jabbed him with a hypo.

"Sun protection. Unless you'd rather I let you get crisp out here." He circled around him one last time, not even really looking at the tricorder. Kirk's vitals and healing wounds were fine. He could handle a few hours in the sun. His hair and chest were mostly dry, but his pants were still stuck to him wetly. "You okay?" Leonard managed to ask quietly.

Jim nodded subtly.

He wanted to say more, wanted to warn Jim to stay out of trouble. But he couldn't do anything else without arousing suspicion. He had to admit, part of him also wanted to cut Jim's bonds and tell him to run.

But that wouldn't end well for either of them.

So, instead, he let Jim be and went to check through his supplies and find something for breakfast.

The men found ways to pass the time while negotiations were worked out. Jenner kept in contact with another Ridgefield den; they were the ones who had direct contact with the family.

Leonard tried to catch up on his reading, but it was never easy. He always found himself wanting to hover near the hostage, give them some measure of comfort and normalcy. Of course, in Jim's case he wanted to be near him for a host of other reasons. And it made it ten times more difficult to concentrate on his reading.

When he took another walk down to the river with Bobby to refill their water, the kid filled him in on the other members of the group. It was strange that the kid knew more than he did, but Leonard had made it a point to know as little about the Ridgefields as possible. But for now, Bobby's rambling kept him distracted.

"Jenner, you know, of course. No one knows his whole name; I don't know where the name Ridgefield came from. Then there's the two Mezikaths – Ozeeglen and Berlven – brothers."

Leonard nodded. He had been on another run with the two pale, purple brothers before. They mostly kept to themselves and had excellent aim with phasers and lassos. Their large, cat-like orange eyes gave them superior vision.

Bobby shivered. "That just leaves Stack. I don't even know if that's his real name, but that guy is _scary_."

Leonard had worked with Stack before – in a manner of speaking. Jenner's right-hand man hardly ever spoke. He was tall, well over six feet, and solid muscle. McCoy had seen his life flash before his eyes the one time he made the mistake of offering to heal a phaser burn on the man's arm. "Yeah. Steer clear of him, kid. How'd you get mixed up with these guys, anyway?"

"My brother repairs their weapons. I've been watching them for a long time, trying to keep track of all their missions. This is kinda like a dream come true for me."

Leonard tried not to roll his eyes. He wondered why the kid couldn't find a group more worth of adoration.

"You're the secret, though," Bobby told him conspiratorially. "You're not on the books, not one report of you. None of the hostages ever talk about you. Everyone just assumes that one of the Ridgefields knows about medicine."

Leonard breathed a sigh of relief at that. "Good. Let's hope it stays that way."

"Oh, it will," Bobby said with a grin. "They can't afford to lose you. You're the reason people are willin' to pay extra to get their people back whole. And if anyone knew, you'd either get targeted by someone lookin' for revenge, someone with a grudge against the Ridgefields, or just arrested."

"Don't remind me," Leonard snapped.

"Even I didn't know, and I know everything about them," Bobby continued, heedless of Leonard's irritation. "I mean, how'd they talk you into it, anyway? They must have something _good_—"

McCoy whipped out his phaser, holding it under Bobby's chin.

The kid nearly dropped the container he was holding; his bottom lip trembled.

"You talk too much, Bobby," Leonard growled. "Anyone ever tell you that? You idolize these guys so much, then follow their example, and keep your mouth _shut_. If they didn't tell you why I'm here, why in hell do you think_ I_ would? Stay out it, kid."

"I'm sorry!" Bobby gasped. "I – I didn't mean nothing! I wouldn't – Doc, I wouldn't breathe a word against you!"

McCoy holstered his phaser. "Good. Keep it that way." He didn't want anyone else finding out about Joanna. He wondered how many of the men knew. Without speaking another word, he helped Bobby load the containers they had filled onto the hovercart.

"Doc, I'm really sorry."

"Forget it. Just … think about gettin' some new heroes, kid."

* * *

><p>Leonard glanced over at Jim automatically as they came back into camp.<p>

Jenner was talking to him, and whatever he was saying was really working Jim up. His face was red, and his chin jutted out stubbornly. He shouted something, muffled by the gag. Jenner just laughed and sauntered off.

Leonard forced himself to concentrate on his work unloading the cart with Bobby. The Mezikath brothers wordlessly came over to help. He should have known that Jim was smart enough to work it out, but once everyone's attention was elsewhere, he made his move.

Bobby was the first to cry out; Jim had slipped his ropes and was running for the horses. The Mezikath brothers drew their weapons and chased after him with Bobby close behind.

Though he really wanted to cheer for the reckless idiot, he realized that Jenner wouldn't look too kindly on it if he sat back and did nothing. He drew his phaser and belatedly followed the others. The sound of disruptor fire erupted.

He heard Jenner's voice booming behind him. "GET HIM! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"

McCoy rounded the row of tents and saw Bobby lying on the ground. He could see Jim fighting both Mezikaths at once, hand to hand.

Leonard knelt beside the unconscious kid and felt for his pulse; he found it strong and steady. _Just stunned_.

Jenner skidded to a stop beside him, frantically checking his belt. "Where's my – he took my fucking phaser!"

McCoy tried not to smirk. He looked back up at the fight – Jim swept the legs out from one of the brothers, and laid the other out with a solid punch to the jaw.

"I'm going for the disruptors. Cover me! Shoot the damn horse if you have to!" Jenner shouted.

McCoy stood and drew his phaser, firing over Jim's head. _Good thing Jenner doesn't know I'm actually a decent shot_.

Jim looked back at him and was about to grin, when he saw Jenner. He drew his phaser and fired it, hitting the bandit square in the chest.

McCoy looked behind him as he heard heavy footsteps. _Stack. Shit._

As Jim turned back to the horses, McCoy charged forward, still firing horribly. Jim untied one of the horses and fired back at McCoy, clearly also missing on purpose. Leonard leapt into a slide, kicking the disruptors out of the way in case any of the bandits managed to get back up.

But as the dust cleared, the phaser was kicked out of his hand. Kirk was standing right over him, holding his phaser over his heart and the reins in his other hand.

"Bones, come with me."

"Damn it, Jim, go! Now! Get out of here! This isn't a game!" He could hear Stack getting closer.

Jim looked at McCoy seriously. "I'll find you."

McCoy leapt to his feet and grappled for the phaser. "This has to look real, Jim. Now, get gone before Stack gets here. Hit me, kid. Make it look good."

Jim nodded and drew back his fist.

Even though he knew Jim had pulled the punch, the uppercut still hurt like hell. McCoy let himself go down and heard Jim mounting the horse.

More phaser fire erupted over his head as he stared at the sky and waited for it to be over. He rolled onto his stomach as Stack went storming past, firing much more accurate disruptor shots at Jim and the horse.

Jenner was struggling to his feet. "AFTER HIM! NOW!"

McCoy allowed himself a small smirk. _Damn kid did it after all_.

* * *

><p>It was hours before everyone came back to camp. Jenner was fuming. McCoy had treated all of the minor injuries; he appreciated the fact that Jim hadn't left him much work to do. He could have grabbed one of the disruptors at any time, but he stuck to the phaser and left it on stun.<p>

"He must have loosened the ropes when they were wet this morning," one of the Mezikaths pointed out.

"I still don't know how that little _shit_ got my phaser."

"Who tied him up this morning?" Bobby asked.

Jenner stilled and flushed. "I did."

"Might have grabbed it then. I've never seen anything like –"

"SHUT IT!"

McCoy tried not to snicker; Jim had gotten them all good. Stack had ridden his horse practically to death chasing after him. But Jim was gone like the wind.

"What now, Jenner?" the other Mezikath asked. "We still require payment."

McCoy could sense the situation was about to go south fast. He stood. "Well, I'm not on your payroll, so I'll take my leave. Good luck with that."

"Sit down, Doc," Jenner snapped. "When we catch that son of a bitch, you're going to have some serious work to do."

"What do you want me to do, Jenner? Sit around until you get him back? It was hard enough to take him the first time. You think it's gonna be easy to –" Leonard didn't have time to dodge the punch coming his way, and it certainly hadn't been pulled.

"Doc!" he heard Bobby cry as he hit the ground.

His jaw throbbed as he spit out dirt.

"You're not goin' anywhere, Doc," Jenner growled. "We'll get him back. And when we do, we'll need you. So, you just stay put and keep your fucking mouth _shut_."

Despite his better judgment, Leonard pushed himself back up to a sitting position. "You don't know when that will be. Just come and get me when you need me. I can't stay away too long; you know that."

"How long will that take? What if he's far from your little shithole town when we catch him? He might bleed out while we're gettin' you. And if you think I'd risk sending a message, you can forget it. Someone will figure out you're involved. You're _staying_, Doc." He looked around at the group. "We all are. Otherwise, we don't get paid."

Leonard shook his head. "What're you gonna do, Jenner? Shoot me?"

Without looking at McCoy, Jenner nodded at Stack.

"Shit." Leonard turned and broke into a run. In his panic, he was running _away_ from where the horses were tied. _Damn it!_ He could hear heavy footsteps behind him and pushed himself harder. _I might have just enough of a head start to make it –_

A rope flew over his head, closing a loop over his chest and pinning his arms to his sides; his momentum broke, and he stumbled face first to the ground. He struggled against the tight lasso, but he couldn't get his arms free. _Roped like goddamn cattle. Shit!_

Leonard fought to get to his knees, but a heavy foot on his back put an end to that. His wrists were tied tightly together, followed by his ankles. He heard a second set of footsteps and a soft laugh.

"Oh, Doc. Why'd you go and make things hard on yourself?" Jenner asked. "We only wanted you to stay, and we treated you real nice. Now I'll just have to let Stack keep an eye on you and warn you that if you try to run again, I will personally slit Joanna's throat. Understand?"

Leonard was about reply when a gag was shoved unceremoniously into his mouth and tied tight behind his head. _Fuck. Jim, this is all your fault_.

* * *

><p><em>Four days later . . . <em>

"So, you're telling us that whenever Doctor McCoy has been called away, he's been working for the Ridgefield Bandits?" Chapel asked skeptically.

"Yes," Jim answered, running a hand through his hair. "And he's still not back. This is all my fault."

"So, what's going to happen?" Sulu asked. He had agreed to meet Jim in the tiny town of Foskrem, despite his better judgment. "You think they'll attack the Kirk home again?"

"It's possible," Jim answered. "Jenner seemed like a stubborn son of a bitch. That's why I told you to evacuate everyone."

"Your mother isn't amused by the situation," Sulu told him.

"I know. But I can't worry about that right now. There's an innocent man trapped out there with a group of ruthless bandits, and it's my fault."

"But you said they can't kill him," Chapel said. "They need a doctor for their operation to work."

"I know. But … I'm worried that if Jenner goes over the edge, he will. And there's a young kid with them, too. Can't be more than fifteen. And don't you want to put an end to this anyway? I mean, they're kidnappers!"

Chapel shrugged. "It would be nice, Mr. Kirk. But what army is going to back you up?"

Kirk smiled and turned to his head of security. "Sulu? Call in the gang."


End file.
